


Friend of the Inquisitor

by DAfan7711



Series: Dragon Age - Short stories, Vignettes [17]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dwarf Courting, Dwarves, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gift Giving, Gwaren Land-Hammer, Picnics, Qunari, Skyhold, battle nug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 10:42:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12862833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DAfan7711/pseuds/DAfan7711
Summary: Inquisitor Adaar is lonely, until her friend Cappi Cadash returns from Val Royeaux with a gift for her.





	Friend of the Inquisitor

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, SnuggleBonnet, for reading the first draft of this.

Inquisitor Adaar was lonely.

Thom had left her naked and alone in the hay loft. Cullen had kissed her over the war table, then said he could only offer her friendship. Sera thought she had slept around too much, so wouldn’t give her a chance. Varric had eyes only for his crossbow, and, despite how often she caught Solas checking out her ass, he’d creeped her out ever since he’d invaded her dreams without her permission.

Bull’s . . . appetites were not something she wanted to explore, but it looked like he and Flissa were pretty exclusive now anyway.

She heaved a sigh and plunked herself down on the old stump by the weathered horse statue. It was the only place in Skyhold that wasn’t constantly bustling with people. Unfortunately, it gave her a clear view of the barn Thom had abandoned her in. She glared at it.

“Why so sad, beautiful lady?” a rich baritone asked.

She turned and looked up to find Cappi Cadash standing on the kitchen steps. Sun glinted off his braided auburn hair and his dragon armor emphasized his blocky build.

“If it isn’t the lyrium merchant.” She tried to smile and failed.

“That’s one of my many titles. But I like ‘Friend of the Inquisitor’ best.” He looked down at her like she was the most interesting person in the world.

For the first time since she’d broken her arm at age six, she felt like crying.

Oh, no, she had not cried over the Conclave, or Haven, or the whole damn world insisting she save them because she had a cursed magic hand that burned every night she lay awake alone. But over a hot dwarf who found her interesting.

“I could use some company,” she said.

He smiled broadly and came down to stand at her side. Even seated, she was more than a head taller.

“I brought you something from Val Royeaux.”

“For _me_?” Her heart did a little flip-flop. Okay, a big flip-flop.

He offered her a hand. “May I show you?”

“Yes,” her answer was embarrassingly breathy, but he didn’t seem to notice. She placed her long gray fingers in his calloused palm and he gave her hand a friendly squeeze as he helped her to her feet. And didn’t let go.

Cappi Cadash held her hand.

Her heart thundered in her ears. The rest of sunny Skyhold fell away into nothingness as she walked hand-in-hand with Cappi to the stables.

She blinked when they entered the cool shade of the barn, then gasped in amazement: in the nearest stall stood a proud Gwaren Land-Hammer. The giant nug-like beast was a lovely light-lilac color with gray markings down her back and great horns with two points that curved forward and two points that flowed back behind her smooth skull. The insides of her upright ears were soft pink.

“She’s beautiful.”

“She’s battle-ready and she’s yours,” Cappi said.

“Really?”

“Yes.’’

“Beatrice. I’m going to name her Beatrice.”

Cappi smiled. “A grand name for a powerful lady. Shall we ride out for a mountaintop picnic?”

“Seriously?”

He grinned and reached behind a hay bale to pull out a picnic basket covered with a red handkerchief. A fresh bread smell drifted up from it. “Sera made blueberry muffins for us. I must confess I tried one already; they’re really good.”

“I’d love to.” He could have offered her stale bread on a rainy day and she’d still go.

Oblivious to everyone’s stares, she rode out of Skyhold’s font gate on Beatrice, Cappi Cadash sitting in front of her saddle, holding their lunch basket. A few miles out, they sat on a sun-warmed boulder and talked until the sun started to go down and it was cold enough to go home.

Cappi helped her clean Beatrice’s saddle and get her settled in her stall for the night.

“So, ‘Friend of the Inquisitor,’ was this a date?” she blurted out as she put the saddle wax back on the shelf.

He hopped up on a hay bale, startling her with his speed and closeness. His deep green eyes were even with her own. He leaned in and brushed his soft pink lips against hers.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“Yes,” he whispered across her lips before taking a step back. “I’ll be back in two weeks with more lyrium. Then I can stay for a few days, if you’d like.”

“I would. Very much.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Read this story on tumblr](https://dafan7711.tumblr.com/post/168014230376/friend-of-the-inquisitor).
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm DAfan7711 on AO3, tumblr, and Pinterest. I'm Paragade Blues on YouTube.
> 
> If you're a writer looking for a beta reader, or just a reader who'd like a sneak peek at an upcoming story, drop me an e-mail or message me on tumblr ([contact info](http://archiveofourown.org/users/DAfan7711/profile)).


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